Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey will today launch a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s “anti-science agenda,” accusing the US President of overseeing the “biggest threat to the fight against cancer” whilst calling on American researchers to flee to Britain.
In his keynote speech at the party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, Sir Ed will unveil plans for a dedicated fellowship scheme to attract US cancer scientists whose funding has been slashed by the Trump administration, whilst pledging to make curing cancer a “top priority” for the NHS.
The finale of the Liberal Democrats’ four-day gathering will see the party leader turn his fire on President Trump, having already spent the conference attacking tech billionaire Elon Musk and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
Sir Ed is expected to warn delegates that “what’s happening on the other side of the Atlantic” represents the gravest danger to global cancer research, with potentially devastating consequences for millions of patients worldwide.
The US is by far the world’s biggest funder of cancer research – mostly through its National Cancer Institute,” the Liberal Democrat leader will say. But since Donald Trump returned to the White House, he has cancelled hundreds of grants for cancer research projects. He’s slashing billions of dollars from the National Cancer Institute’s budget.”
The Trump administration has proposed cutting the National Cancer Institute’s budget by approximately 37%, from $7.22 billion to around $4.5 billion, whilst the overall National Institutes of Health budget faces cuts of nearly $18 billion, a reduction of almost 40%. Senate committee analysis found cancer research grant funding declined by 31% in the first three months of 2025 compared to the previous year.
Sir Ed will appeal directly to American scientists who have had projects cancelled or funding terminated: “Come here and finish it in the UK.”
He believes a dedicated scheme should be established allowing US researchers to move to British research institutions without paying the substantial visa fees that can exceed £1,000. The Liberal Democrat leader will argue Britain should be “stepping into the vacuum left by Trump’s anti-science agenda – leading the world in the fight against cancer.
“The UK should step up and say: if Trump won’t back this research, we will,” Sir Ed will declare. “We’ll boost funding for cancer research in the UK. We’ll rebuild a National Cancer Research Institute, after it was closed under the Conservatives, to coordinate research and drive it forward. We’ll pass a Cancer Survival Research Act to ensure funding for research into the deadliest cancers.”
The speech marks an intensification of Sir Ed’s criticism of the Trump administration. He was the only English party leader to explicitly criticise Mr Trump and refused an invitation to the state banquet with the King at Windsor Castle during the US President’s state visit last week.
Sir Ed will also announce a “cast-iron guarantee” that each cancer patient in the UK diagnosed with cancer will start treatment within two months, addressing the crisis in NHS waiting times that has left millions languishing on treatment lists.
The Liberal Democrat leader will accuse Reform UK members of supporting the Trump administration’s decision to cut millions of pounds of research into mRNA vaccines, based on what he calls “totally false conspiracy theories.
“It is hard to express the cruelty and stupidity of cutting off research into medicine that has the power to save so many lives,” he will say, noting that Reform members “enthusiastically applauded” the cuts at their party conference earlier this month.
The speech comes after Sir Ed refused to rule out making a deal with Labour after the next general election to help keep Reform out of government. Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, he said he would “wait to see the result of the next election” before deciding on any agreement.
Throughout the conference, Sir Ed has dramatically escalated his rhetoric against both Trump and his allies. He accused Elon Musk of being a “criminal” for “allowing online harm to children” on his social media platform X, insisting he’s not concerned about being sued by the billionaire despite Musk not being charged with any crime.
When asked about potential legal threats from Musk, Sir Ed defiantly told Sky News: “If he sues me, let’s see how he fares, because I don’t think he’ll win.” The Liberal Democrats‘ chief executive has reportedly been meeting with lawyers pre-emptively over the leader’s comments.
The conference has also seen Sir Ed clash with the BBC, accusing the public broadcaster of giving Reform UK less scrutiny than other political parties. He claimed the BBC had “copy-and-pasted” Reform press releases in online articles. When political editor Chris Mason suggested this attack on the media was “Trumpian,” Sir Ed replied: “No, I don’t think we are.
Sir Ed has suggested the Liberal Democrats could win “way more” than 100 seats at the next general election, building on their current tally of 72 MPs – their highest ever number in the House of Commons.
The party has used the conference to announce several policy initiatives, including plans for a windfall tax on big banks to help homeowners install solar panels and insulation, cigarette-style health warnings on social media apps to protect children, and a law to ban ministers from lobbying on behalf of foreign leaders.
On the opening night of the conference, former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron draped himself in a flag and called on members to “reclaim patriotism” from the far right, setting a more combative tone for the party’s annual gathering.
The Trump administration’s cuts have already had devastating impacts on American cancer research. The NIH has terminated 777 grants as of May 2025, accounting for over $1.9 billion in medical research funding. Additionally, 10,000 termination notices were issued at the Department of Health and Human Services, including 250 NIH employees and approximately 50 staff at the National Cancer Institute.
Clifford Hudis, CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, warned that the proposed funding cuts “would be devastating to the pace and progress of cancer research in America” and “threaten all we have gained” through decades of investment.
Critics note that NIH funding contributed to 354 of the 356 drugs approved by the US FDA between 2010 and 2019, highlighting its crucial role in advancing medical treatments. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network warned that returning to funding levels from two decades ago would “set this nation back dramatically” in reducing death and suffering from cancer.
Sir Ed’s personal connection to cancer research adds emotional weight to his appeal. Both his parents died from cancer when he was young – his father from Hodgkin lymphoma when Sir Ed was just four, and his mother from breast cancer when he was fifteen.
The Liberal Democrat leader’s bold stance represents a significant political gamble, positioning his party as the strongest critics of Trump whilst attempting to capitalise on concerns about American scientific leadership and the future of global cancer research.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
